Mixed bag of commercial shite

[RustbucketP6]

Here’s a complete mix of photos that I’ve come across in the last few weeks – some of which you might have seen before and others I’m pretty sure you haven’t.

 

Incredibly this Mk1 Transit photo came from Ford – it was in the 40th birthday press pack they released in 2006. It looks like the HB Viva is going to survive the jump – but I don’t reckon the Tranny will look too good on landing.

 

 

 

 

I couldn’t resist showing you this picture – depicting a fleet of Atkinson Borderers. Aren’t these the most beautiful British trucks ever built? Incredibly this photo was taken in the late 1980s.

 

 

 

This Maltese Marina was sent to me by Ashley Lovering. If you want to see a few more old British vans in Malta then check out my blog. http://www.roadtransport.com/blogs/truc ... malta.html

 

 

 

Check out this wonderful XM – also from Malta and also courtesy of Ashley.

 

 

 

And here are a couple of abandoned Maltese trucks. Once again, there are more on my blog if you are interested.

http://www.roadtransport.com/blogs/truc ... recks.html

 

I went to Krakow, Poland, for the New Year – and saw this driving by as I staggered out of a bar. I only took the photo because I thought it said ‘FUK’ on the grille, but in hindsight I reckon it’s a ‘Z’ and not an ‘F’.

 

 

 

Late last year I went to the Electric Vehicle Show in California – talk about a big pile of shite. The only decent vehicles were a British-built Smith truck and a British-built Modec van – oh and a 600hp electric Mustang if you like that sort of thing. Of all the vehicles on show I thought the Ridon was the one that most deserved to be on this website. If you want to see the rest of the shite from the show – then please check out my full report.

http://www.roadtransport.com/blogs/2007 ... .html#more[/img]

[retrogeezer]

That XM is awesome, any idea what it was built for???

[r.welfare]

High-speed ambulance I reckon - popular conversion for the DS and CX before it (and the BX I think) on the Continent. I've seen Audi 100s (there's one in the French film 'Taxi' halfway through the big chase at the end) and Volvo 960s similarly done, too.

[michiel]

High speed newspaper transport... google for the Hollander firm.

[michiel]

Like these before, Tissier built CX:

[r.welfare]

Ah - I stand corrected sir. Beats the dull WH Smith vans we have over here!

[mk2_craig]

Was always amazed at the effort Europeans went to in converting Volvos, Citroens, Espaces etc into ambulances while we Brits settled for rather less remarkable Bedford CF2s and (admittedly V8-powered) Freight Rovers. On the flip side I suppose many of our urban areas did specify for FX4s and Metrocabs when saloon cars would have sufficed...

[r.welfare]

Wonder if the European's love of extended estates for ambulances is due to the potentially greater distances involved, and straighter/smoother roads...I can imagine an XM that like that will be much faster than a V8 Sherpa (a lot less thirsty, too).I'm not sure what the rules are now, but in the 80's a fully-loaded ambulance needed to get to 60 in less than 22sec. Renault turbocharged a fleet of Master diesels to meet the requirement, but they caught fire rather a lot according to Autocar!I wonder also if the Hackney Cab regs weren't also a way of ensuring employment for Brits in building them at LTI etc...would be interesting to see how many FX4s hit the oval as a result of the Low Emissions Zone, can't see the Metrocab faring quite so well being the body is GRP...

[Ross_K]

That XM is awesome, any idea what it was built for???

Transporting newspapers, believe it or not.

[MrRegieRitmo]

Funny this thread should be resuscitated, only looked at it this afternoon when it was one of the search results I received. I was looking up threads containing the word Malta earlier as we have booked to go there in August - can't wait!

[binhoker668]

That XM is awesome, any idea what it was built for???

I know a place (squatted ex-animal testing labs!) in the middle of a forest in Zeist outside Utrecht where there's a whole warehouse full of similar vans - double rear wheels et al - but based on the DS/Pallas etc.Really cool place to be if ye have our specific disease! Heading over again in a month or two and will for sure be taking a digi camera.

[michiel]

What? Why? Where? I could live in one of those, park it outside and sublet my little flat!

[Marty]

there's a whole warehouse full of similar vans - double rear wheels et al - but based on the DS/Pallas etc.Heading over again in a month or two and will for sure be taking a digi camera.

Bugger that, get over there with an A frame or flatbed.....Having ridden in the rear of both styles of Mambuflance - I choose the Bedford/Transit/ Renner box van anyday.